Inside the Institute

Easy Ways to Take Action for Earth Month

There are a ton of charities whose mission is to help the environment, and in honor of Earth Month, I wanted to highlight some especially worthy ones. (Though, of course, doing good for the planet is always in season!)

1. Choose a cause.Websites like GuideStar or Charity Navigator can help you find charities that are putting donated funds to good use. But first, decide whats important to you when you give back. Do you want to volunteer your time, or offer a donation? Would you prefer to make a local or global impact? Is there a certain cause that has meaning to you?

2. Follow a trustworthy celebrity. Several celebs use their megaphones for good. Matt Damon works with Water.org to help people around the world gain access to safe water and sanitation. Leonardo DiCaprio works with the World Wildlife Foundation to help conserve nature. And Stings charity The Rainforest Fund supports rainforest communities.

3. Support green causes with a cool charity apps.VolunteerMatch helps you find local volunteering opportunities, and you can filter your options by whats most important to you.

Charity Miles has a handful of eco-conscious charities on its roster, and you can help support them just by walking, running or biking  the further you go, the more money you raise!

Googles One Today app provides information on all sorts of nonprofits and asks you to donate just $1 to the projects that inspire you. Plus, you can then challenge your friends in your social networks to match your donation.

With the Check in For Good app, you contribute to a cause when you check in at participating locations (like shops and restaurants), and the business will make a donation on your behalf.

Or, watch a small change in your life make a big impact. The I Can Go Without app shows you how small savings (like skipping your daily coffee run) can actually mean big results for certain charities. Then, it lets you make a donation on the spot.

Good Housekeeping already has an account with this email address. Link your account to use Facebook to sign in to Good Housekeeping. To insure we protect your account, please fill in your password below.

Your information has been saved and an account has been created for you giving you full access to everything goodhousekeeping.com and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your username and/or password or complete your profile, click here.